Alkaline Pad Thai Recipe with Tangy Seed Sauce
shared by Nibblore Kitchen
This fresh, vegetable-forward take on Pad Thai pairs tender zucchini noodles with crisp cabbage, peppers, and a creamy lime-hemp seed sauce. Briefly salting and draining the zucchini prevents a watery dish, while dates balance the tang without refined sugar. Serve it for a light lunch or dinner when you want bright flavor without traditional rice noodles. • Choose straight, firm zucchini no wider than about 2 inches; oversized zucchini contain more water and softer seeds. • Keep the vegetable cooking brief. Residual heat will continue softening the zucchini after it leaves the pan. • For the smoothest sauce, use a small blender jar and begin with only 4 tablespoons water. • Replace zucchini noodles with spiralized yellow summer squash, using the same salting and drying method. • Use raw sunflower kernels instead of pumpkin seeds for the garnish. • Replace cilantro with flat-leaf parsley if preferred. • For less heat, omit the cayenne; for more heat, increase it to 1/4 teaspoon. Store the cooked vegetables and sauce separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The sauce may thicken; loosen it with a little water. Reheat the vegetables in a skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the sauce off the heat. Freezing is not recommended because zucchini noodles become watery.
- Total time
- 33 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Beginner-friendly
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Save recipeIngredients
- 4medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles
- ¾ tspfine sea salt, divided
- ⅓ cuphulled hemp seeds
- 3 tbspfresh lime juice
- 1soft Medjool date, pitted
- 1 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tspfreshly grated ginger
- 1 small clovegarlic, peeled
- ⅛ tspcayenne pepper
- 4–6 tbspfiltered water
- 2 tspavocado oil
- 2 cupthinly sliced red cabbage
- 1red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 3scallions, thinly sliced with white and green parts separated
- 1 cupmung bean sprouts
- ½ cuproughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsppumpkin seeds, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
- 1Place the spiralized zucchini in a colander set over a bowl. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and let drain for 15 minutes. Spread the noodles on a clean kitchen towel and gently blot until the surfaces feel mostly dry; do not squeeze them.
- 2While the zucchini drains, combine the hemp seeds, lime juice, date, olive oil, ginger, garlic, cayenne, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 4 tablespoons water in a high-speed blender. Blend for 45 to 60 seconds, scraping once, until smooth and pourable. Blend in up to 2 additional tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the sauce is thicker than heavy cream.
- 3Heat a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the avocado oil, cabbage, bell pepper, and white scallion parts. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cabbage is vivid and slightly tender but still crisp.
- 4Add the dried zucchini noodles and toss continuously with tongs for 60 to 90 seconds, just until warmed and flexible. Remove the pan from the heat immediately; the zucchini should remain firm and should not release a pool of liquid.
- 5Add the bean sprouts and half of the sauce to the skillet. Toss for about 30 seconds, adding more sauce as needed to coat the vegetables lightly. Divide among four shallow bowls and garnish with cilantro, green scallion parts, and chopped pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately with lime wedges and any remaining sauce on the side.